Survival on the Internet: A Bizarre Start at Sea

Fear, hatred, despair, excitement, gratitude, hope...

Several diametrically opposed and irreconcilable emotions were inexplicably mixed together at this moment, transforming into an out-of-control, chaotic, and violent torrent.

With the most ruthless force, it pierced deep into Su Zhisu's consciousness!

"Ugh—!"

Su Zhixu's body swayed violently, and he let out a muffled groan, almost losing his balance.

My brain felt like it was being pierced and churned by countless steel needles, with all sorts of chaotic thoughts, fragmented images, and hysterical screams surging forth!

One second they were in the abyss of fear, the next they were soaring to the paradise of hope...

"This tastes... amazing!"

With red eyes, he glanced at Lilia behind him. Seeing that she was not affected by the emotional storm, he turned back to look at the music box.

This emotional storm, which he himself ignited, was far more powerful than the music box's single emotion could evoke.

The music box's monotonous and melancholic melody was instantly torn to shreds by this emotional storm!

The intense grief that had almost made him want to die on the spot became insignificant under the impact of this emotional storm.

Like a fallen leaf in a giant wave, it can only drift with the tide and be easily submerged and crushed!

Just as this emotional storm was about to completely destroy his reason, a power originating from the depths of his soul suddenly awakened!

A notification came from the network: the talent—[Yearning for True Freedom]—has been triggered!

[Network Notification]: You have suffered a severe mental shock (chaotic emotional storm). Your talent has triggered a resistance check; resistance difficulty is 60.

【抵抗判定】：1d100+30=72＞60，抵抗成功！

Instantly, an invisible, resilient barrier opened up deep within my consciousness!

Keep violent and chaotic emotions at bay!

[Resistance Reward]: Obtain a random reward: Item [Emotion Crystal Bottle].

A small, cold object with a red string attached fell into Su Zhisu's hands.

It was a small, transparent crystal bottle, about the size of a thumb, with silver chain patterns inlaid at the mouth.

【Emotional Crystal Bottle】

[Quality]: White, ordinary grade

[Additional 1]: Emotion Collection: Collects emotional energy that has escaped from the environment. Once the bottle is full, an emotion fragment will be generated, depending on the type of emotion collected.

[Information]: Use it to collect emotions.

"An emotion-collecting bottle? Perfect!"

Hanging the emotional crystal bottle around her neck, Su Zhisu unhesitatingly opened the small stopper at the bottle's opening.

The strange power within his body decreased slightly, the alchemical patterns on the bottle's mouth lit up faintly, and an invisible suction force emanated from it.

Amidst the chaotic storm, some relatively "mild" and dissipated emotional energy, as if drawn by a force, trickled into the bottle.

"The storm is still there, but the impact has weakened..."

"The innate resistance has blocked the most deadly emotional storm, and the crystal bottle is also absorbing the dissipated emotions!"

Su Zhisu felt that the tearing sensation in her brain had lessened considerably.

Although chaotic thoughts were still churning within him, they were no longer enough to shake his will.

He raised his head and looked firmly ahead—at the music box that was still playing a sad melody.

"Now is the perfect time; it's time to end this!"

He strode forward, braving the lingering emotional storm, and walked step by step toward the music box.

Every step was incredibly heavy. Despite his innate resistance, the chaotic emotions and the sorrowful music box continued to tug at his mind.

The distance is getting shorter.

Five meters... three meters... one meter...

The music box seemed to sense a threat, and the melody it played suddenly became sharp and urgent, with a hint of panic mixed in with the sadness.

The image of a weeping face seemed to come alive, radiating a venomous light.

But Su Zhisu remained unmoved.

He reached out, not to touch the face pattern, but to grab the base of the music box!

Then, he picked up the music box that had given him a period of refinement.

It feels cool to the touch and has the rough texture characteristic of wood.

The music stopped abruptly when the lid was closed.

The music box's performance was forcibly interrupted.

The image of a weeping face twisted violently, as if emitting a silent scream, before quickly fading back to its lifeless stillness.

[Network Notification]: You have successfully contained a strange object—a music box.

Music box

[Quality]: Excellent (Green)

[Type]: Strange and Mysterious Items/Quest Items

[Additional 1]: Emotional Performance: Consumes Mystic Power to play music based on the facial patterns on the surface, evoking corresponding emotions. The closer the distance, the stronger the effect.

[Extra 2]: Creepy Face: A creepy face is carved on the surface of the music box. Once "targeted" by it, you must listen to the entire performance. If you don't give an "evaluation," the music box will follow you forever.

【Additional 3】: Purification Certificate: As a certificate for clearing the core pollution source of the "Abyss-Shallow-2" dungeon, it can further reduce the overall erosion level of the dungeon and is used to settle rewards (this additional effect disappears after exiting the dungeon).

[Information]: An artifact imbued with the emotions of a musician has been corrupted by a strange and eerie power. All strange and eerie objects come at a price; handle with care after containment.

[Network Notice]: The core source of contamination in the dungeon "Abyss-Shallow-2" has been cleared!

[Current Dungeon Erosion Level]: 0%

Congratulations to you and your team for successfully clearing the dungeon "Abyss - Shallow Layer - 2"!

[Rewards being processed...]

[Gain basic experience points...]

[Items Obtained from the Dungeon]: 300 Disaster Coins from the Comprehensive Network, 600 Iron Materials, [Core of the Blank Year], [Emotional Crystal Bottle], [Music Box], 200 Mixed Emotional Fragments

[Bonus Reward (Music Box)]: Skill Points x1, Network Disaster Coins x300

[Network Notice]: Due to your leadership and completion of the purification of the dungeon "Abyss-Shallow-2", and the influence of the item [Music Box], the overall erosion level of Abyss-Shallow-2 has decreased.

The image of the pale beach began to distort and fade.

The rusty and bloody smells in the air quickly dissipated.

Su Zhisu looked down at the crystal bottle in her hand.

Inside the bottle, the chaotic emotional energy has settled and condensed, transforming into sixty colorful and varying-sized "emotional fragments."

"60 fragments... quite a haul."

Hang the [Emotional Crystal Bottle] back around your neck.

As the light shifted, the two returned to the Moon Well at the bottom of the temple.

The soft, pale blue light dispelled the chill of the white sand beach, and the air was filled with a familiar, cool fragrance of moonlight.

Lilia breathed a long sigh of relief, her face filled with the relief of surviving a disaster and the joy of clearing the dungeon.

"Your Excellency...we succeeded!"

Su Zhisu nodded and carefully put the music box away.

He glanced at the newly acquired skill points in his inventory and then felt the increasingly solidified, strange power within his body.

"Shallow Level 2 cleared."

"But beyond the shallows of the abyss, there's more..."

He raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the gap between fantasy and reality, looking towards that strange, dark red sea.

"Hydeland...it's time to go."

Lilia seemed to sense his thoughts and asked softly, "Your Excellency... when are you going to Hydeland?"

Su Zhisu turned his gaze from the distance and placed it on Lilia beside him.

The girl looked up, her eyes filled with an almost imperceptible urgency, yet she tried hard to hide her unease.

The corners of his mouth unconsciously curved into a slight smile, but it was enough to calm the girl down.

"soon."